Game Review

Biker Mice From Mars Review

If you want to know what Biker Mice from Mars is like, think of it this way. Take RC Pro-Am for the NES, change the cars into Harleys, and then throw a bunch of thug-like mice onto those bikes and there you have it. It's pretty much a carbon copy of the ideas and gameplay found in RC Pro-Am, with the over-the-top weirdness of the Biker Mice theme tossed into the mix. Now while this might seem annoying for gamers who were never able to come to grips with the odd control scheme found in RC Pro-Am, for those who did enjoy the NES classic, this game is like riding a bike - literally.

Biker Mice basically has three modes of play. The main game is where you race against the other bikers in order to earn prize money and purchase upgrades for your bike. Think of this as the "story" mode, in which you basically work your way up the ranks as you win races and increase the speed and handling of your bike, not to mention purchase better weaponry that can be used to take competing bikers out on the race track. This is what would be considered the "meat" of the game, and in all honesty, the most enjoyable part of the game.

Next up is the battle mode. Here's where you can take on other players in an all-out shootfest. Think of it as a quirky version of the battle mode in Super Mario Kart, only minus the balloons. It's actually very well thought-out and offers some good fun if you can round up some competition.

Last, and certainly the least, is the practice mode. This is basically your chance to practice the many tracks of the game without any interference from other riders. This does come in quite handy for the later levels in the game, but since most of the tracks are fairly standard in design, you shouldn't need a lot of practice anyway.

It's worth mentioning that the controls do take some getting used to since the control of the bike is always the same no matter which direction you're currently facing in the 3/4 viewpoint setup. That being said, after awhile you'll find the controls second-nature once you've gotten a handle on them. The gameplay certainly isn't going to set any new standards as far as innovation goes, but its simplicity gets the job done nicely and gives the game a distinct feel that will appeal to gamers looking for something a little different.

While the visuals in Biker Mice from Mars certainly aren't as good as those found in many other SNES titles, they seem to fit in with the unusual theme of the game perfectly. Everything from tropical island surroundings to underground sewers can be found in the game, and each new area has its own distinct look to it that keeps the game feeling fresh throughout the wild ride. Since the game is presented in a 3/4 style viewpoint, you won't find any fancy Mode-7 effects, which does keep the game looking smooth as it scrolls along, even at some of the more brisk paces. So while the graphics aren't what you might call cutting edge, they're more than adequate to carry to outrageous theme the game employs.

Luckily the music in the game is almost as insane as the visual stylings. The synthesized techno/rock hybrid musical score sounds right at home in this game and does a good job of keeping with the up-tempo feel of the game. It's worth mentioning that the voice acting in the game is a little over-the-top, but much like everything else in the game, it just seems to fit. Trust us, you'll be hearing the "Let's Rock & Ride!" going through your head long after you've put the controller down. The only real gripe that could be leveled against the game's audio performance would be that the game's many musical selections could have used a little more variety, as after a few hours of playing the game, they all begin to sound alike.

Conclusion

Sometimes it's nice to see a game that's just purely outrageous and doesn't take itself too seriously. Sure the control system is going to turn off some racing game purists expecting a more standard gameplay experience, but those who can appreciate something a little different are likely to find the game an enjoyable diversion from the usual racing fare on the console. The game isn't going to revolutionize the racing game genre, but what it lacks in innovation, it more than makes up for in charm and personality.

Absolutely great choice for a SNES review, completely colour packed and quirky. Full of '90s cartoon cool and character.With licensed games like this any re-release depends upon who holds the rights, e.g. who has the 'Biker Mice From Mars' license, today?Isometric racers are always good for a laugh and I really enjoyed reading through this review, cheers Corbie.'Super Nintendo Review Fridays' are the best day of the week.

Great review Corbie! I never played this game before but it doesn't look half bad. The graphics are nice and polished and I enjoyed RC Pro-Am so the controls would probably be right up my alley. If it ever does come to the Virtual Console I'll be sure to give it a download. It looks like fun!

I like the licensed Konami titles like Turtles in Time and Buster Busts Loose! to a certain extent, it's not even funny. So I'm sure I may have just as much fun with Biker Mice from Mars (after I order it from eBay someday).

I remember seeing the cartoon of this when I was a kid and thinking it just looked like a cheap Turtles rip off. The cartoon may have been bad but you can sometimes get a great game from a bad licence. Micro Machines is another similar game with a strange license.

I love these retro reviews, but it hurts to see stuff like this that may take a long time to hit VC, and I'm honestly not dedicated enough to set up a SNES again and start another collection. I don't see why there'd be any licensing problems, though, I'm sure they'd practically give away the Biker Mice license by now. I was a massive fan of RC Pro am in the day. I remember playing until the trophies ended and then still going on. The screen zipped by at lighting speed, the NES really kept up well. If anyone walked in to see they'd be like, 'what the hell are you playing' ?(it gets ridiculous fast) Thats in the days when you really needed to be in a zone and memorize everything to excel in certain games. Ahh, when games were still hard. Controls never bothered me, I think it's kind of a lesser used standard option of control. It seems taboo, now, but I don't think it's that strange. Resident Evil was that way, but now it's regarded as strange to lots of people. You just need to play it for an hour or so and it'll click. A quick search shows that Brentwood Television Funnies, owns the most recent license of the names/ characters since there was a revival and new cartoon a few years back in some countries that recently came to the US and is running again here soon. Still, they don't seem to be a media Giant and I'm sure they'd let it go pretty easy since it's basically free advertising for the show.

The control scheme is actually in the style I'm used to playing these isometric racers with. I'd really like to see this on VC! Though I find it weird that this is the only racing game I know of that doesn't save times after you turn off the game.

These retro reviews are great and even better that every friday its snes. This game was great when it came out and still is fun to play. Bright and colourful graphics but yet very simple. It looks and play alot like rock 'n' roll racing. The main mode in this game can keep you playing from start to finish in one sitting. I have done it many of times and still play the game every now and then on the old snes. The cartoon in my eyes was great too thats probs down to it being so much like TMNT! This game is so worth the 7/10 that it got. Great review.